Time to Vote Out Coal
The U.S. cannot afford four more years of pandering to coal. Never has climate change felt so real as waking up two weeks ago to orange skies, darkened by the … Continue Reading Time to Vote Out Coal
Why Don’t We Do It With Demand?
Customers can help avoid blackouts if they are given better information and prices. Even if you don’t live in California, you probably heard about the rotating power outages we had … Continue Reading Why Don’t We Do It With Demand?
Truckin’ California Style
Zero emission trucks will play a major role in California freight transport. While the Trump administration is busy dousing 50 years of environmental regulation with leaded gasoline, setting it on … Continue Reading Truckin’ California Style
Biden’s New Climate Plan
On the economics of building back greener. With a high-stakes election on the horizon, the Democrats are working hard to shore up a winning policy platform. The Biden-Sanders Unity Task … Continue Reading Biden’s New Climate Plan
The Search for Good Green Stimulus
Lessons learned from our last go-round with energy efficiency stimulus spending. Last week it was reported that 1 in 4 American workers have filed for unemployment benefits during this pandemic. … Continue Reading The Search for Good Green Stimulus
Remdesivir, Low-Carbon Energy, and the Origins of Innovation
How do we foster innovation to solve COVID-19 and climate change? Ten days ago the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency approval for remdesivir. It’s too soon to know … Continue Reading Remdesivir, Low-Carbon Energy, and the Origins of Innovation
What Just Happened to the Mercury Rule?
Last week’s EPA decision adds insult to injury for our already vulnerable communities. Perhaps you missed it. There’s a lot going on right now. But amidst all the COVID-19 headlines … Continue Reading What Just Happened to the Mercury Rule?
COVID-19 and the Climate
Can we squeeze some long-run good out of this short-run disaster? The coronavirus has upended life in my household. I’m now toggling between teaching first-grade math and undergraduate economics, and … Continue Reading COVID-19 and the Climate
Putting Solar in All the Wrong Places
High retail electricity prices, not economic value, are driving U.S. investments in rooftop solar. If you were starting from scratch and could install the United States’ 22,500 MW of rooftop … Continue Reading Putting Solar in All the Wrong Places
No Nukes, Mo Problems.
A new paper reveals the financial and environmental costs of Germany’s nuclear power phaseout. I spent the first fifteen years of my life in Northern Bavaria, right next to the … Continue Reading No Nukes, Mo Problems.
The Little Energy Market That Could
Regional market coordination delivers a win for climate change mitigation. There’s an important experiment underway in the Western United States as we inject more and more renewable energy into the … Continue Reading The Little Energy Market That Could
Mexico Goes Backward on Renewables
Mexico’s decision to suspend renewables auctions is bad news for Mexican electricity consumers. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (“AMLO”) has only been in office for 8 months, but he … Continue Reading Mexico Goes Backward on Renewables
Redirecting Energy Efficiency Policies for the Climate
Saving energy and saving the climate are not the same thing. A couple years ago I took Severin’s advice and proactively replaced many of my still-working incandescent light bulbs with … Continue Reading Redirecting Energy Efficiency Policies for the Climate
The Trouble with Carbon Pricing
It has a face that only economists can love? We economists have long been enamored with carbon pricing. The concept is simple and sensible. If the economic damages from greenhouse … Continue Reading The Trouble with Carbon Pricing
How Should We Regulate Safety for Autonomous Vehicles?
A recent experience with Uber/Lyft brought home the limits of market incentives. Max has been dreaming about a clean, autonomous future. Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft are both talking about initial … Continue Reading How Should We Regulate Safety for Autonomous Vehicles?
Charging With the Sun
You aren’t getting “green electrons”, but charging at the right times still lowers GHG emissions. I spent a fascinating few days at the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) last month, … Continue Reading Charging With the Sun
